How to fix DNS_PROBE_FINISHED_NXDOMAIN error

When you run into the error DNS_PROBE_FINISHED_NXDOMAIN, you will see a message that the web browser cannot find the IP address of the server. This issue can be frustrating as it prevents you from accessing the website.

Fortunately, there are many easy ways to fix the problem. This article will show the reasons behind DNS_PROBE_FINISHED_NXDOMAIN error and how to check them. Also, we will share nine methods to fix this error.

What is DNS_PROBE_FINISHED_NXDOMAIN?

The DNS_PROBE_FINISHED_NXDOMAIN error appears when the domain name system is unable to resolve a website’s URL to an IP address, causing the web browser to be unable to access it. The NXDOMAIN in the error code means that the domain is non-existent.

Error codeDNS_PROBE_FINISHED_NXDOMAINbug typeDNS errorVariationsThis site can’t be reached (Google Chrome)
hmm. We’re having trouble finding that site. (Mozilla Firefox)
Hmm… can’t reach this page (Microsoft Edge)
Safari Can’t Find the Server (Safari)CausesDNS configuration failure
DNS not yet propagated
Internet connection error
firewall blocking
server not responding

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How to fix DNS_PROBE_FINISHED_NXDOMAIN error?

There are several ways to fix the DNS_PROBE_FINISHED_NXDOMAIN error, so we’ll cover just a few of the most common causes and how to fix them.

1. Clear DNS cache

The DNS cache keeps the IP address of the sites you visit. Clearing the cache can help resolve the DNS_PROBE_FINISHED_NXDOMAIN error, as outdated IP addresses can also be causing the problem.

To clear the cache in Windows, you will need to do the following:

1. Click on the button StartLook for the symbol of the system and then right-click to select the option Execute as an administrator.
2. Once a new window appears, type: ipconfig/flushdns
3. When you’re done, press Enter.

2. Release and renew the IP address

If the above solution didn’t work, here’s a deeper way to clear your DNS cache, which is similar to the previous step.

Windows

Open the administrative rights of the symbol of the system as before and enter the following commands one by one:

1. You can release your current IP address by entering: ipconfig/release
2. If you want to display the full IP configuration for all your adapters, use the following: ipconfig/all
3. To reset the DNS cache, we will use: ipconfig/flushdns
4. This will renew the configuration settings for all adapters: ipconfig /renew
5. Enter the following commands to reset the IP settings to your previously stored IP and reset the Winsock Catalog. netsh int ip set dns netsh winsock reset
6. Once done, restart your computer.

Many people use this process to renew their IP address and reset Winsock on their systems. Resetting Winsock is useful because it is responsible for handling requests from Internet applications, and you may want to do it from time to time.

macOS

Here’s how to release and renew an IP address on macOS:

1. go to System preferences and click Net
2. Select your Internet connection and touch Advanced
3. Navigate to the tab TCP/IP and click Renew DHCP Lease
4. Press okay and then restart your computer

3. Change DNS servers

If clearing the cache doesn’t work, you can switch servers to try and fix the DNS_PROBE_FINISHED_NXDOMAIN error. By default, your computer uses the DNS provided by your Internet Service Provider. If you have problems, you can change it to google-dns or OpenDNS.

Windows

Here’s how to change your DNS server in Windows:

1. Open the menu of Control Panel and search Center network and sharing.
2. On the left side of the window, click the option Change adapter settings.
3. Right-click the connection you’re currently using and choose Properties.
4. Look for the option Internet Protocol version 4 (TCP/IPv4) in the list and click the button again Properties.
5. in the tab General, you will see two spaces at the bottom of the window: preferred DNS server Y alternative. Select the option Use the following DNS server addresses and write the IP addresses of respectively: 8.8.8.8 8.8.4.4

   If you want to use OpenDNS, include the following:

   208.67.220.222 208.67.222.220

6. Once you’re done, just click okay to save your changes.

macOS

Here’s how to change your DNS server on macOS:

1. Click on the apple icon in the upper left corner and navigate to System preferences.
2. Choose Net and choose the Internet connection you are currently using. Click the button Advanced.
3. Then go to the tab . Press the button + and type in the new DNS server, either Google Public DNS or OpenDNS, which we listed above.
4. Once you’re done, click okay to save your settings.

4. Restart the DNS client service

Another solution involves restarting the DNS Client service. There are three ways to do it on Windows.

Windows Command Prompt

To restore the DNS service from the Command linefollow the next steps:

1. Open the symbol of the system.
2. To stop the DNS server, enter the following command: net stop dnscache

   Once this is done, wait for the following output to be displayed:

   The DNS Client service was stopped successfully.

3. Start the DNS service again by typing: net start dnscache

   Wait for output:

   The DNS Client service was started successfully.

Windows Services Manager

Next, we explain how to restart the DNS client service using the windows services:

1. Accede to Services typing it in the search bar
2. Scroll down and look for the option DNS client
3. Click the button restart service
   

Windows system configuration

You can restart the DNS client service through the administrator windows system configuration.

1. press the keys Win + R on your keyboard and enter msconfig in the search bar.
2. Select the tab Servicesscroll down and look for the option DNS client
3. Uncheck the box to disable it
4. click on okay and then restart your computer.
5. Now, continue with steps one and two, but this time, check the box again to enable the DNS client.
6. Reboot your computer again.

5. Check the Local Hosts file

A hosts file is a local file on your computer that maps domain names to IP addresses. Your computer will always refer to the hosts file first if you want to visit a website. Only if there is no information, it will search the DNS system to load the site.

Therefore, you may want to check if the website you plan to visit is registered there. This is one of the causes of the DNS_PROBE_FINISHED_NXDOMAIN error.

Windows

To check the file hosts on Windows:

1. Write memo pad in the search bar and select Execute as an administrator.
2. Navigate to File -> Open
3. Change the file filter Text documents (*.txt) a All the files
4. Copy the following into the address bar: %SystemRoot%:\Windows\System32\Drivers\etc
5. Double click on the file hosts to access it.

   If you see the domain name and IP address of the problematic website, delete them and then save your changes.

macOS

Here’s how to verify the file hosts on macOS.

1. open your Terminal wearing launch pad
2. Enter the following command to run Nano Editor as administrator: sudo nano /private/etc/hosts
3. Enter your password and you will be directed to the file hosts
4. Delete the inaccessible site information and then save the changes by pressing Control + OR

6. Reset Chrome flags

Sometimes one of the solutions to DNS_PROBE_FINISHED_NXDOMAIN error is to try resetting Google Chrome settings and experimental features that were accidentally changed. To do so, type the following in the address bar:

chrome://flags

You will have access to all the experimental features of Chrome available for your PC. Click the button «Reset all to default” in the upper right corner. Then close and reopen your browser.

Important: Google Chrome allows its users to test experimental features. Since these features are still under development, not all of them work properly on some devices. Sometimes these features can even mess up your connection, so be careful when using them.

7. Disable VPN or Antivirus

The (Virtual Private Network) and antiviruses offer amazing security solutions for those who spend a lot of time on the internet. Unfortunately, its features can sometimes prevent users from accessing some sites.

If that’s the case, you might want to try disabling any active VPN or antivirus to see if that resolves the error.

Disabling your antivirus is easy, usually you just have to open the antivirus control panel and find the option to temporarily disable them.

On the other hand, to disable a , you can follow these steps:

1. Open the Control Panel and then go to Network and Internet -> Network Connections.
2. Select the VPN you want to disable and click Properties.
3. in the tab networkspress uninstall. Restart your computer to complete the process.

8. Temporarily disable your CDN

For website owners, another way to confirm if the DNS_PROBE_FINISHED_NXDOMAIN originates from the site is to disable the .

This feature helps deliver web content faster to visitors by caching website versions on multiple global servers. When users open the site, the CDN serves cached content from the server closest to them.

If you temporarily disable your CDN, cached versions of the website will be disabled. All browsers will have to fetch the site from their origin server.

If the website is not accessible without the CDN, the cached content may be stale and there may be issues with your DNS settings.

If your site points to Cloudflare’s nameservers, go to the Cloudflare dashboard and scroll down to click the button Pause Cloudflare on site.

9. Restart Internet connection

If the above methods still don’t fix the DNS_PROBE_FINISHED_NXDOMAIN error, try restarting your internet router and modem. Here we explain how to do it correctly:

1. Unplug the modem and router. Leave them like that for about 30 seconds.
2. Plug the modem back in and wait at least a minute.
3. Do the same with the router, but wait two minutes before turning it back on.
4. Open the browser to check if the error code persists.

Also, be sure to check out the step-by-step guide on or about troubleshooting the…